Display device



March 14; 1939.

F. C. COOPER DISPLAY DEVICE Filed March 20, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR fired i 60 022 BY 1 @M zmaw/w ATTORNEYS DISPLAY DEVICE v I 7 Filed March 20, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jreci :5. $0902 7- BY @Wfas ATTORNEY 5- March 14, 1939.

F. c. COOPER I DISPLAY DEV I-CE Filed March 20, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 m. n & WWW

Ed T

Patented Mar. 14, 1939 ATENT OFFIQE DISPLAY DEVICE Fred 0. Cooper, Maywood, Ill,

Application March 20,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to such a device for use with bulk goods in containers.

One feature of this invention is that it pro vides means for elevating the contents of a container to maintain them near the top of the container despite depletion, as by sale of a portion of the contents; another feature of this invention is that it is easily and conveniently operable by a single motion; yet another feature is that it encourages the user of the device to maintain the contents of the container in their best position for display; another feature of this invention is that it is easily made ready for the container which it is designed to support; other features of advantage in this invention will be apparent in the following specification and the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of this device and a portion of a container used therewith; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal view, partly in section, along the line 3--3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Many bulk articles sold in retail stores are delivered thereto in containers, the containers being so arranged that the goods are displayed therein and sold therefrom. When the container is first opened and the contents completely fill it right up to the top, the display is pleasing, and sale of the article therefrom is facilitated. After the contents have been depleted by sale of a portion, as half or two-thirds of the contents, the remaining articles lie far down within the container, do not make a good display, and are not as readily purchased. The tendency of the customer is to reject these articles on the ground that they must be old and stale, with the thought in mind that the container has stood around open for quite a while in order for the major part of its contents to be sold.

In reality, many such articles are just as fresh as when the container was first opened. In order to make a better customer appeal, and to facilitate sale of the articles, the present invention contemplates keeping the contents of the container all up near the top thereof, even though a large part has been sold. This desired result is achieved by providing the bottom of the container with an elevatable portion, and by placing the container on a stand having elevating means so constructed and arranged that the bottom may be conveniently elevated in the container as the articles are sold therefrom to keep the contentsll of thecontainer always near its top.

1937, Serial No. 132,139

In the particular embodiment of this invention illustrated herewith, the device as stand I0 is shown supporting a container H which is here shown of the substantially cubical type usually used for cookies, and having therein a plurality of layers of cookies 12. The stand H) has therein yieldable supporting means l3 for the container, and an elevatable portion [4 in the center thereof adapted to force the layers of cookies further up in the container as desired. A

The stand has a base portion 15 supporting at the corners thereof telescoping tubes l6 and I! forming housings for coil springs 18. These springs are of sufiicient strength to support the yieldable means l3 and full container at the normal height shown in Fig. 1, but are not so strong but that manual depression of the container and yieldable means is relatively easy. The yieldable support has mounted thereon and depending therefrom a substantially U-shaped bar or bracket 19. The inner vertical surfaces of this bracket are notched to form rack teeth adapted to engage the pinion wheels 20 and 2|. In the lower horizontal portion the bracket has openings surrounding guide pins 22 mounted in the base 15.

The elevatable piece 14 supporting the cut-out bottom portion 23 of the container has depending therefrom rods 24 supporting at their bottom ends a platform 25. This platform has thereon brackets 26 and 21 on which the pinion wheels 20 and 2|, respectively, are pivotally mounted. Ratchet member 28 and 29 are suitably mounted in operative relationship with the pinions and pressed by springs 30 and 3| against the stop or shoulder 52, normally permitting rotation of the pinion wheel in only one direction. This direction is so arranged that the rack bar I9 may move downwardly with respect to the platform 25 when the container is manually depressed, but return movement of the yieldable support 13 as a result of the action of the springs ill will carry the platform 25 up with it.

The base I5 of the device has mounted thereon a second set of rack bars, here shown as 32. The inner surfaces of these bars are toothed and engage pinion wheels 33 and 35 mounted on brackets 35 and 36 on the platform 25. Ratchet members 31 and 38, similar to members 28 and 29, abut the stop 52 and normally permit rotation of the pinicns 33 and 34 in only one direction. A guide piece 39 provides a supportfor the top of the rack bars 32 and guides the rods 24 to keep the elevatable member l4 and platform 25 in proper relationship to the racks.

When it is desired to use this device to display bulk articles in a container, the bottom of the container is first cut so that at least a portion thereof may be forced upwardly therein. The container 4 l is here shown as having the bottom out all the way around near the side walls, but with a small shoulder left on the walls to provide support and reinforcement. After the container has been thus cut, it is placed in the stand on a yieldable support I3. When the top layer of cookies, for example, is sold, the card or piece of pasteboard 40 between layers is pulled out by the clerk, and at the same time the hands are placed on the edge of the container and it is pushed downwardly until the next layer of cookies is even, or substantially so, with the top of the container. Downward movement of the container and yieldable support causes the rack bar 19 to move downwardly therewith, the platform 25 being held in place by the rack 32 and cooperating pinions 33 and 34, the pinions 20 and 2i merely ratcheting idly. When the hands are removed from the top of the container and the yieldable support rises under the urging of the springs IS, the rack l9 carries the platform 25 upwardly with it, the pinions 33 and as then ratcheting idly on the racks 32. Thus there is inter-connecting means between the elevatable portion and the yielding support for the container such that motion of the container support downwardly does not take the member M with it, but upon return movement the member I l rises with the support l3. Thus the contents of the container are elevated to the top, layer by layer, in accordance with the removal of the contents.

In order that the clerk or other user of the device may know approximately the quantity of cookies left in the container, an indicator 4| is provided moving in a slot 42 in one wall of the stand Ill. This indicator is carried by a rod 43, here shown as terminating in a strip 44 carried by the platform 25 and fastened thereto in any convenient manner, as by being bolted beneath two of the rods 24. Reference to Fig. 4 shows how the indicator 4| cooperates with a scale to show the approximate condition of the container as to the quantity of articles therein. This indicator may, of course, be mounted in any desired place on the stand, and actuated indirectly if that be preferable.

When the layer of cookies has been removed, the container is taken out of the stand and thrown away. It is. then necessary, of course, to drop the elevatable member l4 to insert a new container. This may be done by pressing the button 45 on the top of the rod 46 carrying the stop 52. Depression of the rod and stop throws the ratchet members out of normal operative engagement with; the pinions and the platform and member [4 drop until the platform strikes the stop members: 4! provided in the bottom of the stand. The advantages of this device in convenient operation and improved display of bulk articles will be fully apparent to anyone handling such goods.

The stand is here shown in a vertical position, and all references to relationship of parts and direction of movement have been made on that basis. While the stands would be frequently used in this vertical position, they would just as frequently be used at an angle, particularly where a bank of several such stands were placed adjacent a wall, where it would be desirable to have the top of the container directed towards the customer. Under such circumstances the directi-ons as spoken of in the specification and claims would, of course, 'be with reference to the stand, rather than to true horizontal or vertical.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A display device of the character described, including: a container for bulk articles having a bottom portion adapted to be elevated therein; a stand; yieldable means on said stand for supporting said container at a desired normal posi tion; means in said stand for supporting said bottom portion; and ratchet means between said yieldable means and said means supporting said bottom portion so constructed and arranged as to normally permit movement therebetween in only one direction, whereby manual depression of said container against said yieldable supporting means effects elevation of said bottom portion and contents upon return of said container to normal position.

2. A display device of the character described, including: a container for bulk articles having a bottom portion adapted to be elevated therein; a stand; yieldable means on said stand for supporting said container at a desired normal position; elevatable means in contact with said bottom portion; means in said stand normally permitting only upward movement of said elevatable means; and interconnecting means between said yieldable means and said elevatable means normally permitting only downward movement of said yieldable means with respect to said elevatable means, whereby manual depression of said container against said yieldable supporting means and return thereof to normal position elevates said bottom portion therein to maintain said articles near the top of said container despite depletion of the contents thereof.

3. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 2, including means for lowering said elevatable means.

4. A display device of the character described, including: a container for bulk articles having a bottom portion adapted to be elevated. therein; a stand; yieldable means on said stand for supporting said container; and means in said stand for elevating said portion in accordance with depletion of the contents of said container to maintain said articles near the top of said container, said means being operable by manual depletion of said container and yieldable supporting means and including interconnecting means between said yieldable means and said elevating means so constructed and arranged as to normally permit movement therebetween in only one direction.

FRED C. COOPER. 

